Re: [IRCA] IBOC DX'ing

["Bob Young" <youngbob53@xxxxxxx>]

> > I would like to clarify one issue regarding the current state of AM
> >
> > And what is that state? Less than 40% of Americans even use AM today, 
> > and
> > less than 20% of the listening at any one time, nationally, is to AM. In
> > 1977, nearly 60% of radio listening was to AM.
> >
> > In 1985, less than 40% was to AM. What happened in that 8-year period?
>
> In 1975 I was CE of WGNG-550 in Providence.  At that time, we were head to
> head competing against WPRO-630, the dominant rocker and WICE-1290 which 
> was
> the second in line.  We were doing pretty well in a guerrilla war against
> them.  However, shortly after that, the first of the new FM rock stations
> came on, WPRO-92.3.  And, not long after WPJB-105.1 switched to rock as
> JB-105.
>
> Now WGNG is WDDZ, a Radio Disney station (and one of my clients).  WICE is
> WRNI, and running NPR as a non-comm.  WPRO is still WPRO, but it's talk
> radio.  What happened is that the FMs pushed music off AM.  The kids fled
> the AM band en masse.  The format on AM aged a year, every year.  The
> average age of the AM listener seems to be about the same as the average 
> age
> of a DXer.  Maybe 58.
>
> At least in the Providence market, AM Stereo was not a factor at all.  It
> was the programming move to FM that did it.  It was new music.  It was
> fresh, and had a buzz about it.  That was the draw. Yes, FM was clearer
> quality, especially  at night.  AM Stereo wouldn't have fixed any of that.

> Craig Healy


I agree 100% I was 22 in 1975, and NO ONE my age listened to AM radio, we 
all listened to FM, AM radio was seen as very old fashioned and the biggest 
reason was the content. Ten years earlier AM was cool, 1975? Nope, forget 
it. I listened to AM radio until the early 70's when FM radio, especially 
around here with WBCN Boston and it's free form format completely blew any 
AM station right out of the water, by 1975 FM completely dominated, in every 
car I got into, every apartment I went to, on and on. As far as AM stereo 
causing people to leave AM in droves, it was ten years too late in 1978. AM 
radio was seen as your grandmothers radio station in 1975.
And I would bet taking the fairness doctrine off the books alienated more 
listeners than anything, it pushed the rest of the music right off the air 
until it has become a bastion of loudmouths screaming at people to think 
like them.

Another thing I read from another writer: the idea that IBOC was designed to 
drive people to have to buy IBOC receivers because the hash and noise is so 
bad, I also agree with that idea 100% and thought of that way before I read 
that here. I have become very cynical over the past 5 or 6 years and believe 
that if someone had wanted to come up with a compatible way to introduce the 
magic buzzword "digital" into AM radio they would have, there is no excuse 
for putting into practice an idea which will eventually make millions and 
millions of receivers obsolete. I would like to think that we are more 
technologically advanced than that.

>
Lastly I came to this club because I wanted to enjoy what was left of AM 
dxing if it is going by the wayside as it may and I do not enjoy reading 
lame excuses touting IBOC. I frankly don't believe all the hype and baloney 
I'm reading about IBOC here and elsewhere.
I have a great idea, why don't the people who think it's the second coming 
for AM radio start an AM IBOC DX club? Then they can get together and talk 
about how great IBOC is and not worry about getting flamed. I'm not 
advocating people leave here but when one person supports it there are 99 
who hate it, get angry and need to vent, I believe what is causing the 
dissension in these clubs more than anything else lately is fear. The AM 
DXer's hobby has a big gaping open wound right and rubbing salt into the 
wound is ALWAYS going to get the same result.
I must add that I've learned a great deal from these discussions though, so 
maybe I should say 'keep the salt coming' instead.



Bob Young
Millbury, ma
Hammarlund HQ-180C 4' loop/400' LW
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